Improvement in machines for pressing hats and bonnets



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HIRAM E. WEST, OF ATTLEBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO OLIVER CARPENTER 81; CO., OF NEW YORK CITY.

MPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR PRESSING HATS AND BONNETS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 49,048, dated July 25, 1865.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM E. WEST, of Attleborough, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Pressing Bonnets and other Articles of Varying Thickness,of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of my improved machine, the block on which the bonnet is placed being drawn back l'rom the mold. Fig. 2 is a similar elevation, showing the block pressed into the mold; Fig. 3, a rear elevation of the machine.

My invention relates particularly to machines for pressing bonnets, hats, and other articles ot'varyin g thickness, for which Letters Patent ot' the United States were granted t0 ine on the 29th day ofJanuary, 1861, in which the bonnet-block was made in sections and covered with an elastic material, so as to allow ot' its being expanded and contracted by means ot' a wedge and screw. This screw required to be turned back and forth, in order to expand and contract the block, every time a bonnet waspressed,thusconsumingconsiderabletime, to eeonomize which is the object ot' my present invention, which consists in drawing the bonnet block and mold tightly together by means of levers, so as to press the bonnet without operating the screw, it being only necessary to operate the screw slightly when a bonnet ofa different thickness is to be pressed.

To enable others skilled in the art to Linderstand and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it out.

In the said drawings, A is the bed of the machine, on standards a, rising from which is supported the mold B, in which tits the block C, upon which the bonnet is placed before being pressed. This block C is attached to a standard, D, rising from a carriage, b, which slides in dovetailed ways in the bed A, andthe block is covered with an elastic material, and made in sections operated by a screw, c, as described in my said Letters Patentot January 29, 1861.

The manner in which the block C, with the bonnet thereon, is pressed tightly into the mold B, after being thrown forward by hand, will now be described.

E is a foot-lever, which is pivoted at d to an arm projecting down from the base A, and has attached to its outer end a rod, F, the upper end of which is bit'urcated and carries a rod, e, t0 the outer ends of which are attached, on each side ofthe machine, two levers, G H, the former being pivoted at 4 to the mold, while the latter is provided with a hook,f, l'or the purpose of catching over a pin, g, projecting from each side ofthe block C, the levers H being raised so as to bring their hooksfopposite the pins gby means ofaruls 7L attached to cranks i ou the opposite ends ot' a shaft, I, which is vibrated by means of' the rod j, operated by a hand-lever, k. On the foot-lever E heilig depressed the rod F is raised and the levers H are drawn back, as seen in Fig. 2, thus forcing the block C tightly into the mold until the hooks Z catch over the ends ot' the levers m on the face of the block C, the arrangement ofthe levers G H being such as to draw the block and mold together with great power, thus pressing the bonnet tightlyinto the mold to giveit the required shape. The foot is then taken ol the lever E, when the levers H are thrown forward clear ofthe pins g, and the block C is free to be drawn hack into the position seen in Fig. 1.

By the use of the above-described machine, afterthe block has been once adjusted by means ot' the screw c, for a certain thickness of mate` rial, it will be unnecessary to operate the screw c until a bonnet of a different thickness is to be pressed, the operation of pressing being performed instantly by means of the foot-lever and its connections, as above described, thereby effecting a considerable saving in time and labor.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Drawing the block C and mold B together by means of levers, substantially as described.

HIRAM E. WEST.

Witnesses P. E. TESCHEMAOHER, N W. STEARNs. 

